A Separate World
by strawberryfinn
Summary: Why do Ryan and Sharpay put all their effort into drama? After their mother's death, their father has gone mad, taking out his anger on them. One night he goes too far.
1. Chapter 1

Sharpay's POV+

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER DAD! I SWEAR I WILL _KILL_ YOU IF YOU PUT ONE FINGER ON HER! PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE!"

I'm shivering over in a corner, my legs tucked under me in the fetal position. My God, how did it get so bad? We used to be so happy, we used to be so strong. We used to be a family.

Oh yeah, it all happened when Mom died. Mom died two years ago, and ever since then—Ryan and I are juniors—it started getting bad. Dad started going mad.

He loved her—at least that's what I think—Ryan just scoffs and shrugs. He was destroyed when she died. How were we supposed to know she'd had some hidden form of cancer?

And lately, he's been taking out his anger on us.

People are always asking me—Ryan and me that is—why we put so much effort into Drama. Well, we're even more competitive now, after Gabriella and Troy got the main roles in our sophomore year. Why?

Drama's all we have left. After Mom died, our family fell apart. Dad's going crazy, spending all our money on junk we don't need, and he's going out and getting drunk and coming back and taking his anger out on us. That's why Ryan and I fought so hard. Drama was all we had left, and those two took it from us.

They took it from us. They took everything away from us.

In Drama, Ryan and I can pretend we come from a normal family. Our dad doesn't hurt us—we imagine living like that. Our mom's not dead—she's still here.

In a play, we're in a separate world. A world with so much better.

But outside of it, reality comes crashing down.

Anyway, my dad's getting into one of his moods again. He goes crazy, raves at us, and keeps going on.

This is the first time he's ever hurt me though. Usually, he's not _that_ out of his mind.

He knows what will happen if they find out. Even though he wastes his life, my dad's not stupid. He lets us wear all our expensive clothes and do everything like normal—and so far, no one's found out.

I don't want to tell. Ryan doesn't want to tell.

We're waiting for my real dad to come back.

I just asked him to sign a slip for the new play that Mrs. Darbus wrote. I mean, I've tried out every year, and I didn't see how it would hurt if I did again this year.

How was I supposed to know it was a bad day?

"YOU LITTLE UNGRATEFUL BRAT!" he started yelling, and he slapped me as hard as he could. I ran.

I ran and hid in my room, and now Ryan's out there, trying to protect me and howling at Dad to stop.

Dad used to be the one who wanted us to try out. Dad came to every single performance. Dad did everything for us.

And not he does nothing.

Mom was the easy-going one. She kept him in check. But now, since she's gone, he's going crazy. He wants us to be the best—always the best.

Ryan comes home with a 99 on a test, my dad cusses him out about how he should have got 100. I get the second best role in drama, (because Gabriella got the better part—she _is_ an amazing singer), Dad yells at me about why I didn't get the main part. Ryan gets the main part in a play, (he's a _way_ better singer than Troy), and Dad bawls him out about how he should be playing sports like a real boy instead of hanging around with the Drama kids.

We can't do anything to make him proud now.

It wasn't this bad last year. It started though, on the first day of this year.

He's hurting Ryan.

He's breaking Ryan.

He's killing Ryan.

Ryan, my twin—the one I used to do everything with. I loved Ryan more than anything in the world—and I still do, of course. But Ryan's disappeared from me.

I don't think you understand.

I used to know every single one of Ryan's feelings. I used to know when he was happy, I used to know when he was sad, I used to know when he was mad.

I guess it's just sort of part of being a twin.

The bond's broken now.

Dad broke it.

He separated us—guys and girls can't be together. Even if we're twins.

Ryan and Dad used to be really close. Look at them now.

"SHUT UP! YOUR SISTER DESERVES EVERYTHING SHE GETS! WORTHLESS CHILD!"

Tears are in my eyes, and Ryan is screaming at my Dad when he sees me.

I love him.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT DOES NOTHING FOR US!"

My dad turns around and grabs his throat, squeezing with his hands. Ryan's choking, not breathing—his face is turning white and he's gasping for breath. Dad's shaking him, someone's screaming, so loud, and I realize it's me.

My dad turns and looks at me, his eyes furious. He drops my brother. Ryan falls, his head colliding with the wall, his hat flying off as his skinny body collapses to the ground.

He doesn't get up, just a still figure on the ground.

He doesn't get up.

_He doesn't get up._

_Review?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Sharpay's POV+

My dad looks straight at me, as if daring me to tell. He kicks Ryan hard, turns around, and leaves.

I feel like shouting, "Oh my God you stupid coward how could you do that to your son?" but I just stay silent.

He'd hurt me worse. And that's what Ryan was trying to prevent. He was trying to keep me safe.

You know how I said Troy Bolton was dedicated?

Ryan's a whole lot more.

I fall back into reality and run over to Ryan. "Oh my God."

Ryan's just lying there—barely breathing, blood staining the carpet from his head.

I've never told. I've never told about what Dad does to us at home. Why? Because I'm scared to. I'm scared about what others think of me. I know it sounds petty and stupid, but I can't help it. And I'm waiting.

I'm waiting for Dad to come home to us. The real Dad. The Dad we used to have.

In Ryan's opinion, he's not coming back.

I can't call the hospital. They'll know. They'll need to know.

I can't have that happen.

"Ryan?" I whisper, bending down to my twin's side. My vision's all hazy, and suddenly there's water on Ryan's face.

I realize I'm crying.

"Please Ryan, get up," I'm begging him now. I don't care. I can be myself in front of Ryan.

He's the only one that knows me.

Ryan lets out a soft, strangled moan, and he opens one eye. "Where is he?" he asks me groggily.

I'm so happy he's alive, I can't answer him at first.

"He left," I finally say.

Ryan puts a hand to the back of his head. When he pulls it up, his hand's all bloody.

"Shar," he says, as I look at him. "You can't tell anybody, you know that."

I nod, tears still falling.

"And Shar?" I glance at him. "I think I need some help cleaning this up."

I nod my head again, not ready to speak.

"Shar… I'm glad he didn't hurt you. I'd die for you, you know. I love you little sister."

I nod. I know that too. "I love you too, Ryan."

Ryan's POV+

Sharpay's bandaging my head with some rolls we have, from our first aid kit. Well, Dad's actually.

You see, Dad used to be paranoid that one day an earthquake or a tornado was going to hit and we were going to need all the medical attention we could get.

I didn't know that he was the one that was going to cause the accident.

All the sudden I'm crying, and Sharpay is trying to make me think it's alright. She's hugging me and telling me, "It's ok."

But it's not. How can it be right when your father treats you like this?

I guess I'm sort of a disappointment to Dad. He didn't want a singer… he wanted a jock. He wanted a son that would play football or whatever.

I guess he wanted Troy Bolton.

Troy's one of my friends now. After last year's whole musical thing, I've gotten pretty close to him—Zeke and Chad too. But sometimes I get tired of Troy's whole rep… sue me, but I'm sort of jealous of him. Because Troy's what my dad wants.

Well, he's not getting Troy Bolton from me. I can only do so much to please him.

And fight him.

If he ever hurt Sharpay bad, I swear, I would probably die. I love my sister. I know it sounds sappy and all, but she is my twin.

She's worried about me, because I'm not connected to her anymore, I guess. I think it just hurts too much. I have enough to deal with on my own than with her problems to add onto it. I feel sort of selfish, but it's the truth.

I miss my Dad.

Dad used to be my hero. He used to be the one I loved and looked up to.

He used to love me too.

That's gone now.

Gone into the wind.

I only have drama now. Drama and Sharpay.

And that's why I fight so hard to keep them both.

Before they disappear on me. Like my dad.

I really don't know what I'd do without them. Sharpay takes care of me, and Drama keeps me alive.

It makes me think that it's all a dream—my life, that is—and it's all pretend, like a play. It makes me believe that things _can_ get better and we can all live happily ever after, like in _Cinderella_ or something. Call me a dork, but that's what I need to hang on to.

One day Shar and I are going to go away—far away from all the pain that overshadows us. We're going to escape. We're going to have happily ever after.

But now we can only pretend. And make believe in a separate world

Review? What happens next? Sorry it's not too much action.


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